Akasha means “enlightening one’s tongue with joy”

Okay, so I made that up… but after two recent visits to Akasha Restaurant in Culver City, it certainly could be the definition!

Tillamook Cheese’s “Loaf Love Tour” 4/1/10

The kind folks at Bread & Butter PR invited me (along with other food-lovers including @EStarLA & @DianaTakesABite) to attend a cheddar cheese event at Akasha Restaurant. FREE CHEESE + AKASHA? I wasn’t going to miss this, so I invited my good friend Charles Thompson to join me. Since Peter’s studio is near the restaurant, he met up with us after work and we spent the next couple of hours eating Akasha’s fromage-filled comfort food.

The Tillamook Press Release stated:

The Loaf Love Tour consists of a trio of mini-buses that are retrofitted from 1966 Standard VW Microbuses to resemble Baby Loafs of Tillamook cheddar. The Tour will stop at various grocery stores, farmers markets, local retailers and special events to teach consumers about Tillamook’s famous cheddar cheese. The Loaf Love Tour will visit 100 cities in 9 different states throughout the Western U.S. as well as Illinois and Texas.

Personally, I was so excited to see the cheesy mini-buses in real life. They had been spotted driving around Los Angeles of late, but I hadn’t seen one myself. So cute, they reminded me of delivery trucks in Japan.

What we ate:

Of course we started off the evening with some tasty Tillamook cheeses and Akasha’s fresh preserves, including kumquat.

Since it was Happy Hour, I figured I may as well buy myself a cocktail! Loved this RED VELVET MARGARITA: Copas organic tequila, lime juice, blood orange juice, agave nectar. I’m not a fan of sweet drinks, so this was perfect.

Is there anything BETTER than classic Mac & Cheese with perfectly Fried Chicken? I’d had Akasha’s Mac before but this was my first taste of her chicken. Both fantastic. I put some salad on the plate “for color” in the background, but after one bite I went back for seconds. The cheesy croutons Akasha made were also AWESOME!

I thought we were finished eating, but then Akasha’s husband Alan asked if we’d tried the Pulled-Pork on BISCUITS… Of course I found room for a few of these!

After the Tillamook folks packed up and hit the road (I waved as they sped around the corner!), we sat with Akasha and Alan over drinks with Sergio (who works with Akasha) and BBPR’s Dyan.

It was such a treat to meet Akasha’s daughter Amrit, who was responsible for getting her mom on Twitter (and you know how much I love Twitter!)… I’ve said it many times before, she’s one of my favorite Chefs Who Tweet! You can follow her at @AkashaRichmond

A special thank you to Dyan Dolfi. (More links below)

LudoBites Fried Chicken Night at Akasha 3/22/10

Jonathan Gold (my favorite food critic) describes Ludo Fried Chicken (aka LFC) as, “a golf ball of brined dark meat fried to a sandy crunch, intensely flavored with fresh rosemary, spurting juice nearly a foot when you breached it with your teeth.”

Ludo’s Chicken Balls are hard to come by, and when news of their “special appearance” hits the internet (by way of Twitter), there’s always a bit of panic in the air. The LudoBites Fried Chicken Night at Akasha Restaurant sold out as quickly as the first, which was held at The Foundry on Melrose back on March 2nd.

What We Ate:

We started the evening with Akasha’s House Made Onion Rings, which are soy marinated (so vegans can enjoy too), rice flour crusted (dipped twice for crunch), then fried and served with smoked paprika aioli. THE BEST ONION RINGS EVER. I didn’t want to share mine, and I didn’t! (Look for them on Food Network’s “The Best Thing I Ever Ate” CRUNCHY episode.)

We each got THREE pieces of Ludo’s Big, Juicy, Fried Chicken Balls (at the Foundry, it was only two) and choice of sides. Besides the extra onion rings, we shared sweet potato fries and coleslaw.

Our table (which included Peter, Charles and Robert) also ordered Akasha’s Baked Macaroni and Cheese, Organic Swiss and Cheddar Cheese, Roasted Garlic, Bread Crumbs

PLUS Pulled Smoked Pork Sliders. Yup. It was a Ludo/Akasha Food Fest! (A very special thank you to the Delicious one.)

In Hinduism Akasha means “the basis and essence of all things.” In my mind that’s sort of the definition of good, old-fashioned comfort food, and that’s exactly what an evening at Akasha’s feels like, especially after a stop at the fantastic bar. See you there soon!

Akasha Restaurant
WebSite
9543 Culver Boulevard
Culver City, CA 90232-2618
(310) 845-1700

Follow Akasha Restaurant on Twitter @AkashaCC

Follow Chef Akasha on Twitter @AkashaRichmond

Ludo Bites Follow @ChefLudo

Bread & Butter Public Relations@BBPR

Jonthan Gold on L.A. Weekly Follow @TheJGold

Follow @CharlesGT, @EStarLA and @DianaTakesABite

Best Thing I Ever Ate: Crunchy

My first visit to Akasha

For the love of BACON…

For the love of bacon…
I’ve hired a personal trainer.

For the love of bacon…
I’m taking my dogs on extra runs each day.

For the love of bacon…
I’m trying to cook healthier food at home.

For the love of bacon…
I’ll never be a size four (or even a six).

And the best part is…
I’m totally okay with that.

The point is, I will NEVER GIVE UP BACON… but I’ve started to make a few changes.

Meet Chef Paola Petrella, personal chef and owner (along with husband Craig) of Two Peas Cuisine. My good friend Laurieann introduced me to Paola and suggested I try out her food.

Besides cooking for Hollywood folks like Rebecca Romijn, Zach Braff, Brett Ratner, Cybill Shepherd (and many more), Two Peas provides “High-End Daily Meal Delivery Service, Customized and Exclusive Private Airplane Cuisine, Residential and Corporate Catering, plus Seasonal Personalized Gift Trays.”

Chef Paola was kind enough to let me try (at no charge) her healthy home-delivery meals. A cooler was dropped off on a Sunday evening, then I had a complete day’s worth of meals on Monday.

This was the first time I had a chef prepare and deliver meals for me, and have never tried any “diet” food delivery because it just isn’t my thing. It’s great that “diets” work for some people, but they just make me crazy, especially combined with diet pills (which I haven’t taken in years). BEEN THERE. DONE THAT. NO THANK YOU.

What I want to do for myself (as well as for Peter) is to learn to eat more healthful meals at home, and this didn’t taste like “diet” food at all!

Two Peas Cuisine Food Delivery 2/15/10. Each container had reheating instructions (if needed).

Flaxseed Berry Cereal with Nonfat Milk and Fresh Berries. I don’t usually eat breakfast, but started the day off with this cereal and fruit, which tasted great. Non-fat milk? Not so much. I prefer 1% milk, but I’d happily eat this every day.

Mid-Morning Snack: Insalata Caprese. I couldn’t WAIT for “mid-morning” to break into this SNACK. Okay, so I ate it after the cereal. It was awesome, even for post-breakfast!

Beef and Vegetable Stir Fry. I love beef. I love broccoli. LUNCH! I wanted to add more soy sauce, but didn’t. I KNOW I have to cut back on my salt, so I need to get used to enjoying food without extra sodium.

Baked Crab Burger over Arugula & Watercress Salad (with Sweet Potato Wedges and Mustard Vinaigrette). Peter was home when I broke out this succulent beauty. I explained that eating this was “work”, and I couldn’t share it with him but he didn’t buy it. We enjoyed it together and I made extra salad on the side. I don’t really love dessert, so Peter ate the muffins that came with the delivery.

Chef Paola Petrella in the Two Peas Cuisine Kitchen. Visiting the kitchen (later in the week) made me appreciate how much work goes into EACH dish. Great organization, but also a look (and taste) of various menu options.

My day of eating Two Peas Cuisine was fantastic. Peter and I could BOTH benefit from eating these meals at home. What’s better than opening up a cooler of ready-to-eat, farmer’s market fresh and healthy meals?

Unlike most of my friends, I actually have plenty of time to do my own cooking. Plus I actually LOVE spending hours in my kitchen, so I wouldn’t regularly use meal delivery. What I learned most from this experience is that healthy food doesn’t have to taste bland or boring.

How It Works:

“Two Peas Cuisine: The Alternative to Fine Dining with a Healthy Conscience.”

First, they need to know what goals you want to achieve. Is it weight loss or simply maintaining a healthy weight? Contact via email Lisa@TwoPeasInc.com or call (818) 994-2834 to discuss.

Meal Delivery: Every evening they deliver your next day’s meals between 7-10pm.

Pricing:
For individuals it’s $69/day – Weekly Prepaid Services (Prices subject to change). Please contact Two Peas Cuisine for questions and more information. You can also follow them on FaceBook! (link below).

As noted above, Two Peas Cuisine not only offers these healthy meal deliveries, but also full catering services on land and air (private jets).

Meet Meredith Miller, my personal trainer at Level 10 Fitness.

The Level 10 Website notes: “Born and raised in Southlake, Texas, Meredith Miller is a fierce trainer known for her motivational and inspiring style. She coaches elite athletes in the AVP, UFC, and NCAA Division 1, including three-time Olympian Volleyball player Holly McPeak and two-time gold medalist Misty May-Treanor. Other clients include people from all age ranges and fitness levels as well.” (more on Level 10 Fitness website, link below)

Okay, so that’s what it says on the Level 10 Fitness website. What is Meredith really like? She’s TOUGH… and very encouraging. Currently I’m training with her once a week because Manhattan Beach is quite a distance from my home in Studio City. I do run with my dogs every day, and am working out more with weights at home, but this once a week KICK-BUTT session with Meredith is also my way of being accountable.

My friend Krissy introduced me to Meredith, and she’s more than a workout partner, she’s sort of like a second personal trainer. They both call me out when I’m slacking off or not pushing hard enough.

It hasn’t been easy, especially because I’m still going through the aches and pains of working on muscles that haven’t been used in YEARS, but I know it will get better! What I love most is that it’s NEVER boring, and the gym is just steps from the beach. Sure, I have to get up at 5am to be at the gym by 9am, but if I’m early, I just park at the beach and watch the surfers… helps me wake up and get motivated. Thanks Krissy!

Level 10 Prices: Group sessions range from $25-$45 per hour.
Private sessions: 3 x per week $65 per hour, 2 x per week $75 per hour, 1 x per week $100 per hour. Note: Prices are not guaranteed and are subject to change. Please contact Level 10 to discuss rates that would work for you. (info below)

Looking Forward

My sister Janet has always made nutrition and fitness a priority in her life. You can see it in her family as well. I know I’m biased, but I think she has one heck of a gorgeous family!

Every week when I cook dinner for her kids, it’s “cheat night”, because “Aunt Jo is here”. I usually cook up some steak with butter-filled sauce, or bacon-covered something or other. The fact that my big sister is a size two, and I’m NOT should pretty much sum up what I’m feeling these days. It’s time to make a few more changes in my life, and it will start with eating better at home. Maybe cut back on the butter when I grill a lean steak for the kids, and add more whole grains into our weekly dinners.

Eating out at my favorite restaurants? It’s what I love most, so I’ll order more salads and vegetables (easy)! My beloved bacon? Nope… never, never going to give you up… even if in the end… it’s My Last Bite.

Mentioned Above:

Two Peas Cuisine on FaceBook

Contact by email Lisa@TwoPeasInc.com or call (818) 994-2834

Level 10 Fitness (310) 802-8888

My Trainer, Meredith Miller

My Workout Partner, Krissy

More Photos on Flickr

Glorious Bacon was homemade by my good friend Phil. Photo by Jo Stougaard